Bengaluru, Feb 22 (IANS) Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge has made an appeal to the Centre to intervene and rescue Indian youths, including three from the state, who were trapped and drafted into a private army in Russia.

Speaking to reporters in Vidhana Soudha here, the Minister said on Thursday that he has got information from the Kalaburagi DC.

“The youths were fraudulently taken there. We have written a letter in this regard to the representative of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Bengaluru. I have also spoken to the AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge.

"He has assured me that he will speak to Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and write a letter to him also.

"The youths from Karnataka, Telangana are stuck there. Fraudulently and by means of cheating the youths were sent to the war. The Indian government must consider this development seriously. The central government must interfere and rescue the Indian youths from Russia."

According to sources, three youths from Kalaburagi district of Karnataka are stuck in Russia. They were fraudulently recruited by a private Russian army group 'Wagner'. They were recruited by YouTube Channel ‘Baba Vlog’ operating in Dubai.

Nawaz Kalagi, father of the youth, Syed Iliyas Hussain, who is stuck in Russia, pleaded with the central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help bring back his son home.

“He went to Russia on December 18, 2023. He was told that he would be doing the security helper's job. Now they are being asked to fight in the war. My son used to work in Dubai and from there he went to Russia,” he stated.

The incident came to light after the youths made a video sharing their plight and pleading for help. A group of Indian youths have fallen victim to agents who deceitfully sent them to Russia under the false pretense of providing them security guard jobs. Instead, all of them were dispatched to war-torn Ukraine-Russia areas.